Social Media Marketer

Marketing has seen substantial changes in recent history, first with the advent of the internet, and second with the onset of social media. With the internet, marketers had a whole new digital landscape to reach customers, it was no longer just about traditional media, tv, radio and print advertisement. Then

when social media came along, it changed the very nature of marketing and advertising. Communication was no longer one-way, from company to consumer. Consumers now have the opportunity to communicate back to companies, influencing brands with a single tweet, post or pin. To stay relevant in this day and age, companies absolutely must have a social media plan in their marketing strategy. If you’re social media savvy, you could be the one to help businesses market to today’s mobile-first masses.


DESCRIPTION

Social media marketers use social media platforms to connect with their clients’ audiences with the end goals of building brand awareness and reputation, increasing sales and driving website content. A comprehensive social media marketing strategy can involve publishing great social content, engaging with followers and subscribers, tracking analytics, running social media ad campaigns, partnering with social media influencers and more. 

To launch a VBO career as a social media marketer, it’s necessary to have a detailed working knowledge of today’s biggest social media platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, SnapChat and Tik Tok. Each platform’s audience is unique, and the tactics marketers apply will differ across platforms. Marketers may not even find it necessary to market across every platform, instead zeroing in on the two or three that make the most sense for their client goals. 

If you have a marketing background, this could be a good fit for you, but what’s more important is a passion for social media and excellent communication skills. You have to stay up on the latest trends, which move quickly in a digital sphere, and you have to be ready to engage with followers at a moment’s notice.

Here are just a few reasons you should consider becoming a Social Media Marketer:

  • Social media is probably here to stay for the rest of our existence, so social media marketers will remain in demand.
  • There’s a wealth of information available online to help you up your skills in this arena.
  • There are opportunities in virtually every industry.

Here is an example of a VBO Niche for a Social Media Marketer
To learn more about creating your VBO Niche - CLICK HERE!

Primary Niche


Marketing

SUB Niche

Social Media Marketing

VBO Niche

Social Media Marketing for Nonprofits

We provide some great resources to help you get up and running as a Social Media Marketer. If you have questions about becoming a Social Media Marketer, feel free to head over to our Groups and ask there!


TASKS

  • Manage clients’ social media presence.
  • Develop and implement content strategy across social media platforms.
  • Plan, budget and implement ad campaigns across social media platforms.
  • Engage with friends, followers and subscribers.
  • Cultivate relationships with social media influencers to build brand awareness.
  • Track analytics.
  • Understand social media algorithms.
  • Report on social media performance to clients.

PAY

Our research shows the hourly rate charged by Social Media Marketer VBOs ranges from $20.00 to $70.00. However, the majority seemed to land in the $30.00 to $50.00 per hour range. Factors affecting this variance include geographic location, experience, and level of expertise.


BLOGS

Social Media Examiner

Social Media Examiner is a prime resource for all things social media marketing. They provide practical information to enhance your marketing strategies across a variety of today’s biggest platforms. You’ll find guest posts by successful social media marketers and managers, so you know you’re getting good insights from the industry’s best.


Hootsuite Blog

Hootsuite is a premier social media scheduling platform, and their blog contains useful guides, how-tos and tools to help social media marketers boost engagement and make the most out of their campaigns. It’s a must-read for the latest in social media marketing news.


Social Media Explorer

With sections entitled tools and tips, news and noise, movers and makers, and cases and causes, there’s a wealth of information to be discovered on Social Media Explorer. You’ll be able to keep up on everything going on in the industry while finding excellent insights that you can use to boost your own social media strategy.


COURSES

Udemy

Udemy is a great site for VBOs to sharpen their skills. Their classes typically range from $10.00 - $200.00. However, they are known to have frequent sales with virtually all lessons available for as low as $10.00.


Skillshare

Skillshare is an online learning community with classes that are often helpful for VBOs focused on design, business, tech, and more.


Lynda

Lynda has been around a long time and might just be one of the granddaddies of online training. Pretty much all courses are well-vetted and professionally done. While their courses may be a little more expensive, they are top quality. Since they were recently acquired by LinkedIn, some premium accounts get access to Lynda at no additional charge, which is a great deal.


Coursera

Coursera offers courses from many of the top universities including Stanford, Duke, and Penn. As a result, their courses are probably a bit more like what you would imagine getting in higher education.

Description

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Pay

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Courses

Resources